"The vision of the home as a tranquil respite from labour is a patriarchal fantasy"

"The vision of the home as a tranquil respite from labour is a patriarchal fantasy"

Is the nuclear family home an architectural tool of repression and social control" asks Phineas Harper.

The nuclear family house is one of the most successful architectural inventions ever. It has, spread across the world and is now the default template around which the vast majority of domestic architecture is designed and planning policies written. Nuclear housing, and the nuclear family itself, are so popular that it is almost impossible to imagine alternatives.
Yet, for a growing number of critics, the nuclear house is a deterministic form of architecture which stifles individual and collective potential. Designed to enforce a particular social structure, nuclear housing hardwires divisions in labour, gender and class into the built fabric of our cities. Is there now a case for architects to take a stand against nuclear housing" Is it time for domestic nuclear deproliferation"
London Housing developer Henley Homes came under fire recently for segregating its tenants by wealth. Poor residents were being denied access to communal facilities including a playground reserved for the children of richer families.
The British government was quick to respond. "Restricting children from play because they live in social housing is outrageous," it stated. "We are committed to tackling stigma and challenging the stereotypes perpetuated by such segregation."
Family housing has always been a tool of restriction and segregation
Yet family housing has...

Canadians Moshe Safdie and Joe Berridge are among the keynote speakers recently announced for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)?s 10th World Congress.
Focusing on the theme 50 Forward | 50 Back, the Congress will explore the... -

This year\'s graduates from the Pratt Institute department of fashion presented collections that included a structured wicker skirt and oversized soft rabbits in New York last week.
Pratt\'s annual catwalk show took place 3 May 2018 at Spring... -

Studio Rain teamed up with City People and 107 Projects to bring art and wellness together, with a vision of creating a community sauna in Green Square.
A space for relaxation and interaction, the aim of the project is to activate the newly... -

With such a large turnout expected for Milan Design Week, German startup Containerwerk used the opportunity to present their modern concepts for micro living. As available land grows scarce and the cost of housing continues to rise, creating... -

Clashing colours and sharp angles characterise the interior of this Valencian smartphone repair shop, designed by creative consultancy Masquespacio.
Located in Valencia\'s University district, the colourful store is the second outpost of... -

WINNER OF A 2015 CANADIAN ARCHITECT AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Terraced crops climb the slopes of every mountain in northern Rwanda, continental Africaâs most densely populated nation. Nearly every speck of arable land is taken so people push into... -

New images have been released detailing Renzo Piano\'s design for a moviemaking museum in Los Angeles, following news that project has just received a $50 million funding donation.
Currently under construction, the Academy Museum of Motion... -

Frank Gehry once told Aaron Betsky that his favourite architect was actually an artist. After probing the work of late minimalist Robert Ryman, Betsky agrees that the painter\'s use of white made him a master manipulator of space.
When I asked... -